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Behind the scenes information

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Motion capture

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The world is changing, and there many who are finding it difficult to keep up. New Yevon wishes to help those who feel lost in the winds of change.

—Baralai

Baralai is a non-playable character from Final Fantasy X-2 and the current Praetor of New Yevon. As their newly elected official, he is deeply respected by the other party members and the citizens of Spira. New Yevon takes a conservative approach, their motto being "one thing at a time". However their furtive habits–including sphere theft–have earned them a general lack of trust.

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Baralai is a dark-skinned young man with brown eyes and short silver hair styled in a quiff, held back with a blue headband. He wears clothing typical of a Yevon priest but with alterations; rather than a robe he wears a yellow trimmed green coat with orange panels and glyphs on the chest and black-and-white panels bearing glyphs on the lower portion of the coat. The collar of the coat comes up to Baralai's chin and has a red rope running through silver eyelets, and he wears brown bands on the sleeves. An elaborate black and white strip extends down his back. Underneath the coat he wears a khaki wrap shirt, brown codpiece, khaki trousers, and brown boots.

Baralai at first glance is soft spoken and polite, eager to take on the role of Praetor of New Yevon. He does not judge Yuna for her past crimes against Yevon, but asks her to have faith. Despite this, he harbors past hurts and betrayals and can be quick to anger.

Baralai aspired to join the Crimson Squad, a new elite force of the Crusaders. Their final test was to enter the Den of Woe and investigate the rumored illusions said to appear within. Baralai's aim was to discover the true secrets behind Kinoc's orders while he attended to Operation Mi'ihen. Baralai was grouped with Gippal, Nooj and their sphere recorder Paine. The four found the mission easy to begin with, but things started to look different as they continued through the den.

When the squad reached the center of the cave it was revealed that other squad members had slaughtered each other. Unknown to everyone they had been possessed by a malevolent spirit residing in the den, Shuyin, who can control those who are as deep in malice. Shuyin possessed Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal to have them kill each other, but stopped when Paine pleaded with them to put an end to the madness. Shuyin remained latent in Nooj's body as they escaped the den.

Baralai asking Seymour to help him.

The four were the only surviving members of the Crimson Squad and Kinoc ordered them executed to cover up the failed mission. The four escaped and decided to part to draw less attention. Shuyin, still residing inside Nooj's body, took control of him to shoot his departing friends in the back. A wounded Baralai made his way to Guadosalam where Seymour Guado gave him refuge.

Soon after the Eternal Calm began and the church of Yevon collapsed, Baralai emerged from hiding and joined the New Yevon party, eventually being elected Praetor. Baralai bore a grudge against Nooj, now leading the opposing Youth League with a mission to collect ancient sphere recordings and release them to the public, contrary to New Yevon's approach of cataloging them but not making all findings public in fear of rousing unrest. Yuna, Rikku and Paine, now members of a sphere hunting group known as the Gullwings, meet Baralai in Bevelle, and Baralai and Paine pretend to not know one another.

After acquiring the so-called Awesome Sphere in Kilika, the Gullwings can decide whether to give it to the Youth League or the New Yevon; if they give it to New Yevon they gain Baralai's trust, but if they side with the Youth League, Baralai will be cold toward them. The Awesome Sphere shows images of Vegnagun, an ancient machina weapon and one of Yevon's ancient secrets, and Yuna decides to head to Bevelle in hopes of taking out the threat posed to Spira. Vegnagun has an auto-counter ability, so Baralai attempts to keep Yuna from approaching it and possibly activating it by accident. The Shuyin-controlled Nooj activates Vegnagun, and it retreats into the far reaches of the Farplane.

Baralai is possessed by Shuyin.

Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal gather within the depths of Bevelle to attempt to solve the Vegnagun crisis only for old wounds to be brought up. Baralai confronts Nooj about his betrayal and Shuyin reveals he was possessing Nooj by promptly leaving him to control Baralai, feeding off his hatred towards Nooj. Baralai, now under Shuyin's control, follows Vegnagun's trail to the Farplane with Nooj and Gippal in pursuit.

During this time Yuna is busy running around Spira defeating the fiends that have appeared within the former temples of Yevon. After an incident with an Ixion possessed by Shuyin, she falls into the Farplane where she meets the Shuyin-controlled Baralai. Yuna is wearing the Songstressdressphere making Shuyin mistake her for Lenne, his former lover from a thousand years ago. After telling "Lenne" he wishes for both of them to defeat Spira by using Vegnagun Shuyin in Baralai's body opens a portal to enter deeper into the Farplane. Nooj and Gippal follow him asking for Yuna to keep things under control "topside".

Spira descends into chaos with the faction leaders missing and Yuna quells the populace's anger by performing a concert. She discovers Shuyin's true nature and that he is possessing Baralai, and decides to use Shuyin's love for Lenne to get him to leave Baralai's body and assume physical form. Nooj, Gippal, YRP and Leblanc, Ormi and Logos all destroy Vegnagun together and afterward Yuna confronts Shuyin still in Baralai's body. Shuyin abandons Baralai and assumes a physical form allowing the Gullwings to defeat him. Lenne's spirit emerges from Yuna's dressphere and the two fade away together.

Baralai speaking to an audience.

Baralai returns as the leader of New Yevon and settles his differences with Nooj and Gippal. The three give a speech at the Luca stadium and reassurance the people of Spira that the Calm will continue.

During the voice drama unlocked at the end of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, it is revealed that Baralai becomes the leader of the Spiran Council. He has sent two Council members, Chuami and Kurgum, to Besaid to look for Yuna, as weird things have started happening and the dead are returning to Spira from the Farplane.

Baralai is fought in Final Fantasy X-2 and is encountered in Bevelle during Chapter 2. An illusion version of Baralai, created by the pyreflies and Shuyin, is fought at Den of Woe during Chapter 5. Baralai can also be fought in the Fiend Arena. Baralai is an agile fighter attacking quickly and relentlessly. In all fights, the player should watch out for the Drill Shot (a Blue Bullet ability) which in most cases will kill a girl, and the Looming Glacier which may result in a girl's complete uselessness as it can inflict Stop. In the Coliseum, Baralai can enhance his Strength and Magic.